Visual Anthropology: Methods and Perspectives
| Module title | Visual Anthropology: Methods and Perspectives |
|---|---|
| Module code | ANT2013 |
| Academic year | 2019/0 |
| Credits | 15 |
| Module staff | (Lecturer) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 11 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 25 |
|---|
Module description
This course provides a critical introduction to the many ways anthropologists engage with visual phenomena, from their use of visual methodologies and analysis of representations, to their ethnographic study of everyday visual forms. Focusing on a wide range of visual media, from photography, museum exhibitions and popular representations on TV, to dress, body art, architecture and other everyday visual and material forms, the course raises issues about the significance of visibility, the politics of representation, the social life of visual and material forms and the relationship between seeing and other senses.
Module aims - intentions of the module
- To provide an overview of current perspectives and methods in visual anthropology
- To introduce you to diverse materials in anthropology of art and photography, ethnographic film and cinema studies
- To encourage a direct and sustained engagement with visual forms of communication as tools for understanding anthropological concepts
- To develop an anthropological grasp of the politics and practices of representation
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. display an understanding of the visual media and cultures
- 2. demonstrate an understanding of the methodological and substantive issues associated with visual anthropology
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 3. display an understanding of the disciplines approach to visual culture in relation to other approaches and explanations offered in the humanities and social sciences;
- 4. appreciate key issues relevant to the visual methods, and develop critical, comparative and cross-cultural insight;
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 5. demonstrate transferable skills in formulating, researching and addressing focused questions;
- 6. prepare focused and comprehensive written presentations;
- 7. work independently and in collaboration with others;
- 8. prepare and deliver considered oral arguments.
Syllabus plan
1. Vision
2. History of visual anthropology
3. Media Spheres
4. Documentary
5. Art
6. Interrogating images
7. Visual research
8. Anthropology and/as art
9. Sensory ethnography
10. Wrapping up images
Three screenings will take place as a part of this course in addition to weekly seminars.
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 26 | 124 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning & Teaching | 20 | Ten 2-hour seminars, involving presentations, and group discussion. |
| Scheduled Learning & Teaching | 6 | Three 2 hour film screenings |
| Guided independent study | 20 | Preparing seminar-presentation individually and as a group |
| Guided independent study | 77 | Reading and research |
| Guided independent study | 27 | Web-based activities |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class presentation | 10 minutes | 1-5, 7, 8 | oral |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Photographic Essay | 30 | Including 15-25 photographic images and up to 1,500 words in captions and explanatory comments | 1-8 | Oral and written |
| Essay Reflecting on the Photographic Project | 70 | 4,000 words | 1-8 | Oral and written |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Photographic Essay | Including 15-25 photographic images and up to 1,500 words in captions and explanatory comments | 1-8 | August/September re-assessment period |
| Essay Reflecting on the Photographic Project | 4,000 words | 1-8 | August/September re-assessment period |
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Indicative reading list:
This is a list of some useful readings for this module that offer important background. Please feel free to select the texts that interest you, or find explanations of concepts, ideas and history of the discipline when you are preparing your presentations or writing essays.
Banks, M. and Morphy, H. E. (eds.), Rethinking visual anthropology. New Haven; London: Yale University Press
Banks. M. and Ruby, J. (eds.) 2011. Made to be seen: Perspectives on the History of Visual Anthropology. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Freedberg, D. 1989. The power of images: studies in the history and theory of response. Chicago, Ill.; London: University of Chicago Press.
Evans, J. and Hall, S. (eds). 1999. Visual Culture: the Reader. Open University.
Gaines, J. M. and Renov, M. E. 1999. Collecting visible evidence. Minneapolis; London: University of Minnesota Press.
Gray, G. 2010. Cinema: a visual anthropology (Vol. 1). Oxford: Berg.
Grimshaw, A. 2001. The Ethnographer's Eye: Ways of Seeing in Anthropology. Cambridge: University of Cambridge Press.
Heider, K. G. 2006 (1976). Ethnographic Film. Austin: University of Texas Press.
Mirzoeff, N. (ed.) 1988. The Visual Culture Reader. London: Routledge.
Mitchell, W. J. T. 1986. Iconology: image, text, ideology. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Pink, S. 2001. Doing visual ethnography: images, media and representation in research. London: SAGE.
Pinney, C. 2011. Photography and anthropology. Reaktion.
Poole, D. 1997. Vision, race, and modernity: a visual economy of the Andean image world. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press.
| Credit value | 15 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 7.5 |
| Module pre-requisites | none |
| Module co-requisites | none |
| NQF level (module) | 6 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 01/12/2013 |
| Last revision date | 12/03/2019 |
